Anchorage Hotel Guide

While most people know Alaska came rather late to the statehood party, not many know Alaska was once a part of Russia.

As Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage has a rich history, dating back to 3,000 B.C. when the first settlers arrived in the area. In the mid 1700s, the first Europeans arrived - Russian traders and trappers - converting many natives to the Russian Orthodox Church. The 1770s brought the British in search of the elusive Northwest Passage and Captain James Cook explored the waterway that now borders Anchorage, Cook Inlet. But, the Russians laid claim to present-day Alaska and during the 1800s Russian traders and explorers roamed the area. Russia’s financial woes forced it to sell Alaska to the U.S. in 1867 for two cents an acre. And then came the infamous Gold Rush. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Anchorage, Alaska, has a population of about 275,000, or 42 percent of the state’s population. The Municipality of Anchorage encompasses almost 2,000 square miles which equals the size of the state of Delaware. Located at the base of the Chugach Mountains along the coast of the Cook Inlet in South-central Alaska, Anchorage is as far north as Helsinki, Finland, and nearly as west as Honolulu, Hawaii.

Despite inevitable visions of snowbound igloos, in actual fact, Anchorage has a temperate, maritime climate. Protected by the Chugach Mountains and warmed by Japanese currents of the Pacific Ocean, summer temperatures reach the high 70s and winters bring on the snow, yes, but high temperatures are in the 20s. Low humidity ensures a surprisingly comfortable climate.

Whether you plan to arrive by air, land, or sea, Anchorage’s central location makes all options convenient. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is only six miles from downtown Anchorage and has more than 240 daily arrivals with most major US airlines serving. To get an idea of Anchorage’s global location, flight time from Seattle is three hours; eight hours from Zurich; eight hours from New York and 8 1/2 hours from Seoul.

Lake Hood is the world’s largest and busiest seaplane base with more than 800 take-offs and landings on a peak summer day. Merrill Field, one of the nation’s busiest general aviation airports, records more than 230,000 takeoffs and landings annually.

The Alaska Highway links Canada and the contiguous United States, is fully paved and offers year-round services. Anchorage is almost 2,500 miles from Seattle and 4,650 miles from New York City. Whether you plan to arrive by car, bus or R.V., the journey to Anchorage is an adventure in and of itself. Please Note: Entering Alaska by road means travelers must clear Canadian customs. For information on regulations, contact Canada Customs, Excise & Taxation at (506) 636-5064 or visit their Web site at www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/.

Several cruise lines offer excursions along the famed Inside Passage from May through September yearly, docking in Anchorage or nearby Seward. The Alaska Marine Highway, the state’s ferry system, runs year-round. For further information, call: (800) 642-0066.

Anchorage likes to boast that it had a symphony before paved roads and with its rich history, don’t go thinking “culture” in Alaska will be akin to something out of Northern Exposure. Anchorage not only has its own local stars and Opera Company but it also attracts artists of international renown, from Broadway shows, dance troupes, musicians, comedians and many other acts.

Live entertainment aside, Anchorage has a number of museums, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center offers live entertainment from its 11 distinct Native cultures. Last summer, visitors had the rare pleasure of watching master boat carvers build traditional Native watercraft. The cultural scene is alive and well in Anchorage. Just remember: As you rush to the Broadway show, swerve around the moose on the road!

To say the recreational options are endless is putting it mildly. A better question might be: What do you want to do? Anchorage virtually guarantees all bets are off; your wildest dreams are available and options abound for every age group and type of traveler. The only caveat: With seasonal differentiation in recreational options available, pick your sport while you pick your season. And do take your time to soak up all the Last Frontier has to offer.

Anchorage has become so popular in recent years that since 1997, its hotel inventory has increased by 25 percent, to include many of the well known chain brands.

Anchorage hotels are abundant. Anchorage has more than 6,000 hotel and motel rooms and a phenomenal 700 bed and breakfast Inns. Condominiums, private vacation rentals and resort properties offer yet more accommodation for this now year-round and tremendously popular destination.

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